Roasted Beets with Feta in Belgian Endive

It’s the holiday season–which is synonymous with party season! You can never have too many appetizers in your entertaining arsenal as a host or when you’re bringing items to potlucks with friends. Similar to my Macadamia Nut Cheese, I find that the more diets something can accommodate, the more likely it is to be enjoyed by all the party-goers! Enter Roasted Beets with Feta in Belgian Endive with Toby’s Chunky Feta Dressing, scallion, and fresh lemon. The appetizer is hearty with a bright flavor and a crisp crunch (thanks to the endive and scallion!). I am a fierce lover of Belgian endives. You’ll typically see them in gourmet recipes and high end restaurants–they’re like the perfect appetizer spoon but edible, and they lend a beautifully light and slightly bitter crunch to anything. They come in different colors (green and purple are the most common) and do exceptionally in raw food settings. You’ll find them quite easily now that we are in winter–I am able to pick mine up from most grocery stores. Speaking of…

I’ve teamed back up with Toby’s Family Foods to develop a great hors d’oeuvre for your next gathering and to help share that they are now carried at all Oregon and Southern Washington Safeway and Albertsons stores! I’m pretty stoked to be able to find them close to home! You’ll be able to pick up all the ingredients at your local Safeway or Albertsons and the appetizer comes together in about an hour (mostly inactive time while the beets roast).

If you’re looking to make this appetizer ahead, I would prep the beets and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to build things. The beets can, therefore, be made up to three days in advance. You can also make this recipe as a salad, by chopping the endive and combining it with some more robust greens (I love a baby romaine or perhaps go with some red radicchio!) Spoon the filling over the top and voila!

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a half baking sheet, toss the beets in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 50-60 minutes, flipping halfway through–once they are fork-tender you can pull them. Cool in the pan or refrigerate until you are ready to prepare the rest of the dish.

Once ready, chop the beets up until they are about dime-sized pieces. In a medium bowl, combine beets, feta cheese, lemon juice and zest, and scant tablespoons of dressing until things hold together. The beet will turn the dressing a beautiful pink, so I like to reserve the last tablespoon to drizzle on top of things once they are all spooned into the endives. Salt and pepper to taste, and spoon the filling into the endives.

Sprinkle with scallion and dressing and serve immediately. This recipe makes enough for about 2 dozen–though this is dependent on the size of your endive spoons and how much you fill them!

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3 Comments

Looks terrific! Appetizer for Christmas? I too enjoy endive…and feta…and, golly, I actually roasted some beets today. 🙂 But don’t live in south Washington. Get a bottle of the dressing for me? I’ll pick up later this month!